I love a good baking project, particularly one that will pass the time with mindful movements and a kitchen that smells warm with spices. On a recent, slow afternoon, I made a layered chai coffee cake.
This cake is rich with spice. To really emphasize the chai flavor in my chai cake recipe, I decided to not only include chai spices in this cake, but some chai tea as well. The scent is incredible; it was hard to wait for it to cool to indulge in a piece.
I chose our Full Moon chai as my baking chai and infused the milk that gets mixed into the cake batter. This chai is full-bodied with vanilla and butternut essences. The infusion is brewed extra strong, an ounce of tea to 1 1/4 cup of heated milk, so it adds a nice earthy spice to the cake portion of this coffee cake.
There are four layers; cake, chai spiced brown sugar filling, more cake, and a streusel topping. It’s not a quick, one-bowl cake, but it is absolutely worth the time and dishes.
It took me less than an hour to pull together, and another hour baking. What you are left with is a large pan of deeply spiced coffee cake to feed a crowd or last the week.
The first steps to making this chai cake recipe are to infuse the milk with tea and mix together the ingredients for the streusel topping and chai spiced brown sugar filling.
Then, we mix up the cake batter and layer it into a lightly greased 9 x 13-inch pan. It’s not difficult to build, it just takes several steps to mix each component separately.
This chai cake recipe was made to pair with Full Moon chai, but you could pair it with any of our chai teas. My favorite has to be the Golden Cacao herbal tea. Not only does it make a wonderful latte, it pairs the anti-inflammatory root, turmeric, which gives it its golden color, with cacao.
I hope you settle into your kitchen with a nice pot of chai and find mindful moments making this chai cake recipe. If you want to learn how to make a good cup of chai or a chai latte to go with it, we’ve got you covered.
You could also take a look at our other chai recipes and set up a chai-inspired tea party, starring your chai cake recipe.
Full Moon Chai Cake Recipe
Streusel topping:
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt (if you use unsalted butter)
- 1 cup flour
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 6 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon cardamom
- 1/4 teaspoon clove
- 12 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs
- 3/4 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
- 1 1/4 cups milk
- 1 ounce Full Moon chai
- 3 3/4 cups flour
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350℉.
First, heat milk on the stovetop just until small bubbles form. Remove from heat and stir the chai into the milk. Steep for six minutes. Strain milk into a measuring cup and add any milk needed so it measures 1 1/4 cup, as some may have evaporated.
In a separate bowl, mix together sugar, salt, flour, and cinnamon. Then add melted butter and combine to create crumbs. Set aside.
In another bowl, mix together sugar and spices. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, mix butter, salt, sugars, baking powder, and vanilla until well blended.
Add in eggs one at a time.
In another bowl, mix milk and yogurt or sour cream. You don’t need to remove all lumps.
Add milk mixture and flour, alternating, into the butter mixture until well blended. Don’t overmix.
Pour half of the batter into your prepared pan, then top with chai spice brown sugar, and spread evenly.
Pour the second half of the batter onto chai filling and spread evenly.
Top with prepared crumbs.
Bake coffee cake in the oven for about 60 minutes. The edges should be turning golden brown and a knife poked in the center should come out clean.
Cool at least 20 minutes before slicing. Store covered on the counter.
